Enemies of the People? Life in Communist Yugoslavia
78A Child Who Learned to Be a Survivor
An Unusual Childhood in Serbia in the 1940's
Most of us who grew up during a time of peace have led sheltered lives compared to that of my husband, Kosta, who was born in Serbia in 1939. He lived through the German invasion of Belgrade, which occurred when he was about two and a half years old. The Germans arrested his father to use as a hostage in case of an uprising, and only the hand of God (I believe) brought him safely home. After the Germans left, the Russians came, and Russian officers occupied Kosta's home. He basically had to stay out of the way and was confined to his room, except for meals eaten in the kitchen with his parents, for about two weeks until the soldiers left.
After the Russian officers left, Tito's Communist partisans took over everything, including assigning who would live where. They also determined who would get coal and who wouldn't, to heat their homes in the cold winter. Kosta had a younger brother and an invalid older sister, Rose, who was half blind as a result of having had meningitis.
After the Communist takeover, Kosta's parents, Paula and Dragoslav (called Charlie in Canada and the United States later on) had a lot of visits from friends and people from the university who had joined the Communist Party. The visitors tried to recruit Kosta's parents, who did not want to join. When asked why they were unwilling, they at first gave excuses such as, "We're not smart enough," or "We aren't political."
The friends tried to bribe them with the possibility of serving the Communist regime as ambassadors to other nations, which would allow them to leave the country, but Paula and Dragoslav refused because they did not want to serve the Communist government. When asked again why, they were honest enough to give their real reasons, that they did not like how the Communists operated, using Gestapo-like tactics. Three weeks later they were herded on foot, including the children, to the killing fields, which were close enough for them to walk to. Kosta did not understand at the time what he was seeing -- only that his neighbors who had visited their home and given him cookies when he visited them, were lying on the ground in rows by ditches. He thought maybe they were sleeping.
We will say more about that separately, but for now you need to know it happened. Again, through what I believe was divine intervention, they were released after proving what they were accused of, having worked for the Germans and having German flour in their house, wasn't true. They invited the soldiers to search their house, and they couldn't find any evidence. Most of their neighbors weren't as fortunate. Kosta and his mother never knew the real reason they were arrested or why so many of the neighbors were killed. It was only when his mother had only weeks left to live that the two of them discussed this incident and it was only then, when Kosta was in his sixties, that he understood what he had seen that day.
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After the Communists took over Yugoslavia, the government determined who would live where. How do you feel about this?.
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Dragoslav Radisavljevic
Moving Again
When Kosta was a baby, his family lived very close to the war department building in downtown Belgrade. In early 1945 Dravoslav moved the family to what he thought would be a safer place, a wealthier part of town, about twelve miles from the downtown area. Americans were dropping a lot of bombs on Belgrade, and this new home was farther from the targets. One of the families in this new neighborhood was the Vladimir Dedijer family, and Kosta played with their daughter. Vladimir Dedijer was a historian and a Communist who wrote much about the war and about Tito.
When Kosta's family was released from the killing fields, they were kicked out of their house and assigned to an apartment in downtown Belgrade until close to the end of 1947. The family of Vladimir Dedijer moved into their house. By this time, Kosta's little brother had died of pneumonia. When he was sick during the winter, Paula could not get coal to heat the house because they weren't Communists. Kosta's sister Rose died in 1948.
This is the background to the story I have asked Kosta to tell on the video titled "No Enemy of the People." To me, this story is one more evidence of the hand of God intervening in the life of Kosta's family.
As Kosta mentions in the video, his dad owned a construction company that provided jobs for many people, but also got him labeled as a capitalist, which was not good for him politically, and, in fact, was the basis for his arrest. The first picture is one of his projects. He is in the bottom right corner of that picture. His crew is pausing from their work for the picture. The other two pictures are labeled and need no further explanation.
Topciderski Park in Belgrade
This park was a very special place to Kosta. He liked to play there as a child. It has some very large, beautiful, and famous trees. In the park is the Milošev konak, which was once the residence of the Prince of Serbia, Miloš Obrenovic. In it is a museum of The First Serbian Uprising.
After the arrest Kosta talks about in "No Enemy of the People," Kosta's family made an unsuccessful attempt to escape from Yugoslavia, but they were caught, and all of them, including Kosta, were taken to prison. That is a story I will tell elsewhere.
After all of them were finally released, which took almost two years, they decided that after all that trauma they needed to do something special as a family. They decided to go to Topciderski Park, where Kosta could play, while Dragoslav and Paula quietly made plans for another escape attempt. Dragoslav sat next to Kosta on one of the benches and explained they would be leaving. As Kosta tells the story in the second video, he asked his dad, who was an architect and artist as well as contractor, to draw him a picture of the konak, so he would always remember what it looked like. That picture is reproduced for you here, photographed from the original, which Paula preserved and they later had framed after they successfully escaped. I have also presented some more recent pictures for comparison.
Topcider Park in Belgrade
Saying Goodbye to Topcider Park in 1950
The Story Behind the Drawing
More Recent Pictures of Milošev konak
New Beginnings
After escaping from Communist Yugoslavia in about 1950, Kosta's family emigrated to Canada and became Canadian citizens. In 1959 they were able to enter the United States legally and Kosta became a student at UCLA, where I met him. We were married in 1964. Shortly after that, I was proud to sit with Kosta and his family in a courthouse in downtown Los Angeles as they all became United States citizens.
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Thank you, Robin. That's all of the story it seemed reasonable to fit into one hub. There is so much more -- life in prison, the escapes, and the killing field themselves. Kosta was only one child in this worn-torn country where thousands of people were killed either by the Germans, the Russians, or the Communists-- whichever happened to be in power. These included several "enemies of the people."
My in-laws, who could tell even more stories, are gone. I want to get Kosta's eyewitness stories out while he is still alive to tell them.
I appreciate your writing about Kosta. What a testamony to the Lord and His power. I always remember his smile and cheerfulness. Love in Christ. Sue
Thanks for reading it, Sue. I've heard these stories many times, but even I didn't remember them correctly -- only bits and pieces. As we get older and more aware of our mortality, it seemed important to me to get the stories straight so that they will live on after Kosta is gone.
Hi WannaB Writer :)
Incredible!
It is a good thing that you are collecting these stories for future generations.
It is strange that, in theory, communism should be so good and fair, yet, in practice, its results can ofen be really terrifying. I don't understand that.
I visited Jugoslavia in about 1982 or '83 ~ before it came to and end. But we stayed in what was, and is, Croatia.
WannaB Writer, these stories are incredible. I cannot believe the sorts of things Kosta experienced. My goodness! They remind me of the stories my grandmother used to tell me of her time in Paris during WWII. I... well, I just couldn't imagine any of these things happening to me, and I find it really alarming that similar hardships are still being experienced all over the world today.
You've done a wonderful job at sharing some of Kosta's experiences in this Hub. The photos, the video interviews... everything is incredible! This is an awesome, awesome Hub. Thank you so much for creating it, and big thanks to Kosta for sharing his stories!
Trish, Kosta took me back to visit in 1972, to meet his relatives, still in the country, some of whom were actually Communists. He was assured it was safe to go back, but I was kind of scared, to tell the truth. We actually got preferential treatment as Americans who were there spending money when it came to things like standing in line to get on buses. Since then there have been some hard times for his relatives, especially those in Croatia, in the past 20 years. Kosta has had to help support them and send them vitamins and medicines they could not afford to get in their own country. Socialized medicine isn't always good to the older folks unless they are politically well connected. The Serbian relatives are better connected politically. We visited both Serbia and Croatia during our visit.
Every time I hear someone in America whining, I would like them to read this and view those videos. What an incredible documentary you have put together.
I am always fascinated by stories like this and how people manage to come through unbelievable hardships when the odds are often stacked hugely against them. My ex used to tell me stories of what it was like growing up in Communist Russia and how it was her education that got her out firstly to Germany and on to the UK where I met her but she never personally went through anything like this. Your husband is clearly a remarkable man and I am very glad that the two of you seem to have had so many happy years together following his early life experiences. Here's hoping you have many more of them! :)
Hyphenbird, feel free to share this with anyone you think should see it.
Gordon, you should share some of your wife's stories. Education does help one make a peaceful escape, but in post war Yugoslavia , the only people who could go to university were those in favor with the government. Kosta's parents knew he could only get higher education in the free world. When the government controls every aspect of life, they also determine how much education a citizen is entitled to and what sort of job he will do, if any. Thank you for you goo wishes. I also hope we still have some more good years together.
Simone, those of us who have grown up in America have no concept of what the Europeans went through in war time. Our parents talked about sending things to the soldiers, rationing, Victory Gardens, and the Great Depression, but we didn't have to dodge bombs and run for air raid shelters when the sirens sounded. Only our Japanese citizens had a taste of this kind of injustice when they were herded up, lost their homes, and were sent inland to the camps. As far as I know, though, they weren't threatened with death or having their children tortured, and most families were able to stay together. I have friends that were in those camps, too. That chapter of America's history is ugly, but I don't personally know any Japanese American children who endured what Kosta did in Yugoslavia. Even so, It is amazing that so many Japanese Americans stayed loyal Americans after what they endured at the hands of their government.
Wow, what an amazing account of your husband's history. My inlaws are Romanian from Serbia (Yugoslavia). Although my husband and brother were born in the US, their parents lived in communist Yugoslavia as well. They however lived in a rural farm community. I know that my husband's grandmother grew up in the United States as a young girl and I believe was born here. At one point they tried to get back to Yugoslavia but were unable to so they lived for a time in Germany. If I remember correctly, my inlaws were able to immigrate to the US because of her American citizenship.
You have made me now want to have my inlaws tell their story for my own children when they are older. Thank you for an amazing account of this journey.
Dear WannaB,
I am just browsing examples to see if I could be of service to others and broaden my writing and web skills using Hub Pages as a tool. Your post is awesome. You engaged me as a reader and your topic is not one I would have searched. Love the use of multi media. Gave me a clear picture. Excellent! I didn't see ads in this hub. How r u able to make $ with this post?
Angela, since Amazon just cut off California affiliates, I probably won't make anything but a few Adsense pennies and Hub Ads money unless I can figure out how to get a Zazzle affiliate link up for anyone who wants to buy a copy of the drawing done by my father-in-law of the park. It would be nice if I made something in the contest, but the primary reason I wrote this was to let people know that the freedoms we Americans enjoy are precious and special and the reason so many have risked so much to come here. Many of those born here take our liberty for granted and just assume this sort of thing could never happen here. But eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. (I can't remember who said that, at the moment, but it's true.) We need to pay attention to what the people elected to govern us do, and hold them to their oaths to defend and protect the Constitution, which is our only protection from tyranny. It also helps if we know what's in that Constitution so we know if our leaders are letting it govern their actions.
My father, and my grandfather lived in communist Yugoslavia till it ended.
My grandfather refused to be in communist party all his life! I don't know the reasons he used to refuse, but he never joined them.
He is a real hero for me, I'm writing a hub about him.
Hi again :)
I live in the UK and I think that we, who enjoy much freedom, should count our blessings. Though there is plenty that we could complain about, most of us are very lucky indeed!
Hi :)
In spite of all of the horrors that have occurred in 'Jugoslavia', it is still a very beautiful part of the world.
Alexander, i'm anxious to read your hub when you get it written.
Trish, I agree with you 100%. Also, my husband still wants me to see Dubrovnik. He thinks it's one of the most beautiful places in the world. He loves the Adriatic Sea. God made the scenery. Man made the government.
Thank you for writing this. Your other articles about your family have been more helpful to my family than I can say. But I had wondered about your husband, thinking that someone with a name like Kosta probably had an interesting story of how he got here. So now I know!
I am taking something of a break from HubPages while trying to write a book about an Iwo Jima veteran I know. I too want these stories written down while the people who lived through these things that need to be remembered, are still around.
Well-done, for documenting Kosta's and his family's trials and odyssey. I am sure your descendants will treasure this short history - and hopefully they will take heed of man's inhumanity to man - and may they be encouraged by your story to love their fellow-men as they love their family.
aethelthryth, thank you for your comments. I keep saying I'm going to take a break from HubPages, and then they run a contest which is too tempting to resist entering. Let me know when you finish your book. I think Kosta and I would both find it interested.
Arne, thanks so much for stopping by to read this. I know it's hard for you to stay for long at a computer, so I really appreciate it.
Barbara,
I am so glad I took the time to read this and hear Kosta's story! My uncle is also a Serb, but I don't know anything of his story. When we go visiting there in September, I am now encouraged to ask him!
Truly, we Americans don't understand hardship and see God's hand of protection the way people from other places have through the things they have endured. When I read these stories or hear them told, they always amaze me. Thanks for writing this! You certainly have my vote!
Incredible story WannaB - and what a beautiful write! Good luck to you in the contest - voted up and beautiful!
Jeanne, thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by to read this.
akirchner, thanks for you comment. I hope I'm able to do as well as you did, but I'm not counting on it. Everyone wrote so well for this contest.
Barbara, that is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it with us. I have voted for it.
Thank you, Rhonda. I really appreciate it. It's the first of a few I need to write as I have time.
Now I know a little more of the history of my former UCLA dorm roommate. I look forward to reading more of his story. God is great and does marvellous things as Kosta's story reflects.
Thanks for stopping by Bob. I appreciate it.
What a wonderful story...well written and touching. It's so heartbreaking what people had to go through during this time. Great hub...I'm one of your competitors in this contest, but I think you deserve the prize! :)
Congrats on your win today~! I am a survivor of many things so I totally applaud your story. Definitely something to think about when we think we have it "so bad", eh? Good luck again~!
Did I win? I am out of town and can't find the announcement of the winners on this computer in this hotel When I left this morning I was ahead with some very worthy runners up right behind me. I've checked the official contest thread and I still don't know what's happening. I do thank everyone who voted for me. How and where does voting take place between the finalists?
Congrats WnnaBWriter! You had the most votes and now you are now in the Tug of War with one other contestant. My hub came in...,.oh, 4th I think with 25 votes. But I'm happy to have that and $25. Best of luck to you!
What a wonderfully told story of heartbreak and a very difficult history. I enjoyed your hub very much. Rated awesome.
An amazing story, and very generous of you to share it with us all. History is the people who lived it, not the books that are written. I look forward to reading your other hubs.
JSParker, thanks for letting me know. Your hub was also very good, as were all those who made it to the top 14. I'm glad so many got he 25 votes needed for the $25.
Thank you, Pamela.
Anne, you are right. History is made by the people who are making events happen, and each has unique background and motivation. Each of us affects history by the decisions we make and the actions we take.
What a sobering, well told story that makes one realize how important it is to live in a free society. The level of fear living under such conditions must have been horrible and how hard it must have been to lose a child because the parents weren't allowed to have coal.
Thanks so much for sharing this important story on Hub Pages. Also, congratulations on winning the tug of war, though I must add that this hub was more a tug on the heartstrings due to its moving testimony of what it was like living in Yugoslavia during those times of foreign occupation.
Happyboomernurse, it's a blessing that Kosta didn't understand the full impact of things he saw and how he was being used to make his parents cooperate until after he was out of danger. Some things didn't come out until just before his mother died and they talked over all those things. It's amazing how much children can adjust to their circumstances because of their ignorance of what's really happening.
Thank you for your congratulations. I enjoyed writing this, and have started a lens on Squidoo I haven't had time to finish yet that covers other parts of this story.
WannaB Writer, I don't know what else to say, except that this is an AMAZING hub. I love the pictures (haven't watched the videos yet because I have no speakers). You've done a great job. Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work!:)
cheerfulnuts, the videos are one of the most important parts of this, since my husband is telling his eyewitness accounts of what happened to his family and how it happened. I hope you'll be able to get to a computer with sound. I know how frustrating it can be not to have it because one of my computers lost it's sound when I moved it.
Hi WannaB Writer, now that you've mentioned how important these videos are, I will definitely watch them when I get home. :)
(...The Germans arrested his father to use as a hostage in case of an uprising, and only the hand of God (I believe) brought him safely home...)
This shows me how biased is your account. It reminds Hollywood movies, Germans are all time bad, they can never have affection or human behaviors.
Don't turn history into fiction novels.
Richard, this is not fiction. Many of my good friends are German and so was my mil part German. I think Germany is a beautiful country. But anyone who has studied history knows that taking hostages (100 Serbian men in this case) was a common practice of the Nazi army when they occupied a city. Then they could threaten to kill the hostages if there was an uprising of the citizens. Although I was not going to expand on this here, since I'm writing another piece to tell other true stories, my fil was released because my mil was able to go to a specific German officer with proof stating he was part Austrian. Those with any sort of German or Austrian blood were not supposed to have been arrested, so he was released. I don't know what happened to the others. I don't think at any point here I implied that all Germans were bad. I am not going to question my husband's eye-witness account, confirmed by his parents, because you seem to think Germans can do no wrong. I know the people this happened to personally. My husband has studied and read the history of World War II extensively, as well as living it as a child. I'd like your proof from a reputable source that this never happened in Belgrade or other cities occupied by the German Army.
WBW-I missed this story when it was in the contest. I agree with Cardelean's comment (above) that it is important to have a first hand account of events that brought someone from one country into another...in her situation it is her in laws from Yugoslavia.
I missed the opportunity to interview my parents and get some of their stories on tape. It would have been an intersting family history.
Fascinating hub. Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations on winning the Hubbie Award for this interesting hub. It was truly deserving of that honor.
Congratulations on your win, WannaBwriter. :)
Thanks, all. I didn't even know I'd won, since I was out of town this weekend and just got back on my computer.
What an amazing history for one family. Most of us have no idea what freedom really means. Thanks for giving the rest of us a glimpse of what life can be like in circumstances other than our own.
Kathleen, I think only those who have lived without liberty can truly appreciate what a blessing it is. Those raised with it often take it for granted and are so sure nothing can happen to it they have stopped being vigilant.
Congrats on your Hubbie award. This was a great Hub and I enjoyed the read. I spent a semester studying in Yugoslavia in 1973 and the country has an amazing history. Thank you.
Thank you, sligobay. You were there about the same time my huband and I want back so I could meet his relatives. They had assured him he was no longer in danger or arrest or conscription by that time. In fact, by then they treated us very well because we were Americans.
Praesito wrote a beautiful Hub with photos of Plitvice Lake and waterfalls in Croatia and a friend of mine just returned from an Adriatic cruise which included the Dalmation Coast. If I ever retire, I will buy A SAILBOAT and live on board in the Adriatic Sea traveling from Venice to Croatia to the Greek Islands living on the abundance of the sea until I'm buried at sea.
My husband took me to Plitvice when we were in Croatia and it was very beautiful. He also loves the Adriatic Coast. He stayed there on his last trip to Europe in 2006. I did not go. He still wants too take me there, but I just don't want to fly anymore. I'll have to look up that hub. Thanks.
Robin Level 5 Commenter 10 months ago
What an amazing story of survival and love. Thank you so much for sharing with us. The original videos were amazing and incredibly touching. Very well done!